Ok Go is an
American alternative rock band in which their music videos are about compiling
objects to form a continuous line of action that runs throughout the music
video. This can be seen within the music video I am looking at “This too shall
pass” and is a similar style to their other videos which form a cohesive band
style that runs throughout their work.
This song is pop, and has a more immature bouncy feeling to it; often in
this genre it is common to see performers in surreal situations. When analyzing
this video using Goodwin’s theory it is clear the lyrics and visual imagery
have very little in common, clearly this is not a narrative based video, but
could possibly be seen as amplified as the semiotics of this piece mean moving
on and not getting caught up in life, this is represented by the uninterrupted
movement of the machine, but is still more of a conceptual interpretation as
this message is not especially clear. Much like the lyrics the music and
visuals are contradictory, but some aspects coincide, such as diagetic sounds
synchronized with the music. Within this video a machine called a “Rude
Goldberg” is used, this is a deliberately complicated machine that OK GO often
uses within their music videos. Using this machine attracted a lot of
attention, entertainment and fascination within its audience, which suggests
that perhaps this music video is a means of promoting the band and is less for
artistic purposes.
Richard Dyer’s star theory is the idea that icons and celebrities are
constructed by institutions for financial gain and to target a specific
audience or group of people. Within this video there is very little evident
construction of a “star image”, each of the band members is wearing a white
jump suit with a different color paint splattered on it to separate them. This
presents the band to be extraordinary as at the start it is intriguing as to
why they are wearing this, this is perhaps a method of promotion as it makes
the audience want to find out more and look deeper into the video, and it is only
at the very end of the piece that the audience understand why the paint is on
them. The camera work in this video is continuous, so no cuts are used but a
heavy sense of fast movement is presented as the camera is continuously moving,
in each shot there is either a medium close up or extreme close-up of a band
member, this is extremely common and stereotypical of music videos, to show the
artist lip syncing the lyrics. With this style of shooting the band members who
are looking directly at the camera presents the band to be present within the
music video, this is a method of the band connecting with its audience and to
promote themselves. This again emphasizes more of a performance feel to the
piece, outlining the band themselves and what they do. This is a very clear
method of promotion as this is what the viewer sees for the majority of the
video.
The semiotics within this piece present this video to be voyeuristic
with more of a conceptual video with little feeling of narrative, which is a
theme that runs across many of the band’s music videos. But because this band
is within the Pop genre it is common to see a video with very little meta-
narrative in which the band/artist as well as the video itself is presented as
extraordinary and surreal.
This song because it has no clear and real narrative and doesn’t seem to
try and relay and emphasis any message or meaning must be performance based.
The performers are continuously seen throughout the video, singing along in
sync with the music as well as interacting with the machinery. Although many
may think the machine is the main focus within the video, I personally disagree
and think that because Close-up shots of the performers are constantly used
that it is the band members and the performance aspect that is the main focus
as they are covered in paint, singing and effected by the machine, this is reflecting
the way life will continue regardless of what happens. Therefore I would agree
to some extent with the statement as the main focus is on the artists
themselves and this video is a way to make audiences remember the band, and
their songs and to promote and advertise their band image.
OKGO - Album cover
Screen Shots from OKGO "This too shall pass"
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